The Regulation of Hepcidin and Its Effects on Systemic and Cellular Iron Metabolism

Systemic iron homeostasis depends on the regulated expression of hepcidin, a peptide hormone that negatively regulates iron egress from intestinal cells and macrophages by altering the expression of the cellular iron exporter ferroportin. In doing so, hepcidin can control both the total body iron by modulating intestinal iron absorption as well as promote iron available for erythropoiesis by affecting the efficiency with which macrophages recycle iron from effete red blood cells. This review focuses on the systemic and cellular physiology of hepcidin regulation in relation to iron stores, erythropoiesis, inflammation, and hypoxia and how hepcidin regulation and dysregulation contributes to normal iron homeostasis and iron metabolism disorders.